THE INDIAN RAGA INGREDIENTS THAT SATISFY AN EMOTIONALLY-DISTURBED LISTENER
The ancient raga system of India is well-known for centuries for its emotional content and impact. The ragas have been selectively used along with appropriate rhythms and beats to address the turbulent minds and to balance the emotional upheavals during unbearable losses, trauma and other such issues experienced by our forefathers. ‘Raga Chikitsa’ was one of the ancient texts which dealt with the therapeutic role of ragas. It appears that these therapeutic concepts were well-developed and practiced in India by the 12th — 13th century, but were lost thereafter. Improvising music to inculcate pleasant feelings have been dealt with in Sangita Sudha , a 17th Century work, authored by the Nayaka King Raghunatha Nayak and his minister Govinda Dikshitar.
The ancient Indian musicologists were not only concerned with the aesthetic role in experiencing raga, but had also emphasized on their therapeutic impact on emotional situations. In this context the Sanskrit term bhaava, which denotes the emotional bed that infuses life to the scale of a raga was regarded as the soul of music. Thus, while laying down the aesthetic norms, the classical musicologists were researching the ability to fill a raga-scale with bhaava. In fact this has made Indian ragas, an ideal tool for emotional healing which includes addressing the various conditions of mental imbalances such as anxiety, stress, trauma and such.
The Raga as a Therapy for Emotional Victims
Various ancient musicological works on this aspect of music, as collected by then King Sahaji (1684 -1711) were fortunately preserved in the Thanjavur Saraswathi Mahal Library in the form of several palm leaf manuscripts. After independence, these were studied by music scholars and published as a series of books by this Library. From here we are able to understand how our ancient musicologists manipulated the raga structure to derive maximum benefits out of the raga system.
Raga Alap or Improvisation
Expanding a raga structure is referred to as alap of raga alapana. This process of rendering involves a right combination of imagination, aimed at a determined intention. To achieve a consistent bhaava , the musicologists had, in the past, worked on various ‘catches’ (pidi in Tamil), which inculcate pleasant feelings in listeners.
The pidis are the note clusters, which form the building blocks for a raga. Thus, for example, let’s take five pidis: SA, SA RI, SA RI GA, SA RI GA MA, SA RI GA MA PA. These are the five pidis, which can be found within the body of a typical; Indian raga. Based on years, decades and even centuries of experimentations with such clusters, keenly observing their impact on the minds of listeners, certain conclusions and generalizations have been drawn which will benefit the music therapists in arriving at the ‘appropriate’ raga structures to address various mental ailments.
Based on the understanding that a pidi that satisfies the mind alone can be therapeutic, they devised ways and means to execute through imagination the right kind of pidis that could satisfy the listeners instantly.
Out of the five pidis, as illustrated above, it was observed that it is either SA RI GA MA or SA RI GA MA PA which gives maximum satisfaction to the listeners with a sense of completion. Whereas the remaining three pidis namely SA, SA RI and SA RI GA are just capable of creating a sense of expectation in the minds of the listeners and never a sense of completion which alone renders satisfaction. In these “incomplete” examples, only suspense is created in the minds as there is no sense of completion. While listening to these pidis, the listeners are bound to feel certain inadequacy, and at the same time certain curiosity to reach a conclusion or completion.
The Probable Reason for Completion felt through the selected Pidis
The swaras SA and MA are considered samvadi swaras, the same way SA and PA are heard. Samvadi swaras are the friendly notes which are close to each other.
RAGA THERAPY: AALAAP FOR EMOTIONAL HEALING
Recent years have witnessed the revival of research on Indian ragas for their therapeutic role. We all know that Indian ragas can effectively address the emotional needs of humans in a subtle and unpretentious way. Thus, it can be an adjunct to counselling.
Ragas have been known for their emotional impact on humans for a very long time. Most of the ancient texts and manuscripts depicting ragas as a medical intervention (e.g., Raga Chikitsa) are still untraceable and some of them are totally lost with the passage of time. However, some of the remnants of these texts are fortunately available to this day, thanks to the efforts made by the Tanjore Saraswathi Mahal Library, since independence. They all go to show that Indian musicology had given adequate emphasis on the emotional role of ragas through trials and errors and had come out with a choice of tones (swaras) that affect the emotional needs of listeners
Aalaap or improvisation of a raga is one of the many popular areas of classical music in India. Aalaap is regularly practiced by both Carnatic as well as Hindustani musicians. As aalaap refers to the contemplative exposition of a raga with irregular phrase sans rhythm, it is highly intuitive and emotional in character. It helps the musician and his or her listener in channelizing and expressing the emotional horizons freely without bothering with the social etiquette or behavioural restraints in normal social living.
Aalaap, (also referred to by some as `aalapana’’) according to the musical traditions, can be divided into the following five parts:
Akshiptika (Also, Aayatham): Aayatham is a Tamil word, which means ‘preparation’. The Sanskrit word `akshiptika’ refers to ‘throwing out in all directions’. Here, the emphasis is just to commence the musical experience with a selected raga piece, by pronouncing the swaras (notes) in an enjoyable way, so as to bring out the subtle emotion (raga bhaava) from a centrepoint. It involves a slow, smooth and leisurely way of extending the emotional nuances hidden behind these swaras, by exploring both elevation (aaroha) and downfall (avaroha). It is like switching on an airplane by the cockpit crew before its take of the detailed description of this stage has been described in Sangita Ratnakara, the oldest text available on music.
Raga Vardhani (Also, Eduppu) : Raga vardhani refers to the take off stage in raga experience. The Tamil word, `eduppu’ here connotes the beginning of the expansion of the chosen raga. Having acquired a clear form by now, the musician is ready for a take off. Raga vardhani thus begins its voyage!
Makarini (Also Vartani) In this form of aalaap, all the swaras show their heads. It refers to the final expansion of the raga. Muktayi (Also, Nyasa) All good things have to come to an end! It refers to the finale of the aalaap.
Conclusion
Aalaap is an ancient form of contemplative music, which exercises the brain and regulates the emotional flow in a pleasant manner. Though the negative emotions such as fear, anger, melancholy etc are expressed through ragas, they are expressed so pleasantly that they do not have any adverse effect on the listeners. On the other hand, it is this author’s experience that such negative expressions, expressed so pleasantly through the ragas, help in addressing similar negative emotions suppressed by listeners. With powerful tones and tunes, sounds and beats, it is possible to address such emotional incrustations through catharsis.
References
Sastri, K. Vasudeva 1958 – Raga Alapanas & Thayams Tanjore: Saraswati Mahal Library
Sairam, T.V. 2007 -Self Music Therapy: Musings on Music Therapy Chennai: Nada Centre for Music Therapy
Sairam, T.V. 2004 – Raga Therapy Chennai: Nada Centre for Music Therapy.
This article was published in “Ayurveda and All’ September 2020, Pages 22 to 24
Edited by Geeta Shreedar, August 9, 2021